Animal Wisdom From King Solomon
by Balin Lord of Moria
Summary: "He taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish." A story of never before revealed insight into Solomon's wise teachings regarding the animal kingdom. Obviously made-up, I'm nowhere near as wise as King Solomon, nor is anyone else.


**A/N:** I should say here that most of what I know about the real wisdom of King Solomon is his advice on how to serve the Lord in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, and his love poem, Song of Songs. I've never found any literature that talks about what he knew about animals, so this _fictional story_ is a mere speculation on what he may _possibly_ have taught to the people of Israel and the world regarding animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. Forgive me if some of it seems inaccurate or opinionated, please.

* * *

"_[Solomon] could talk about all kinds of plants, from large trees to small bushes, and he taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish."_ **– 1 Kings 4:33, CEV**

It was a peaceful day in the land of Israel. The mighty Temple of the Lord and the king's palace had been wholly constructed, and King Solomon himself was at his throne, being attended to by his butler and manservants. The people of Israel had not been troubled by their enemies for quite some time now, and it was the Golden Age of Israel. And on this particular day, a large family consisting of a man, his wife, his wife's sister, and five children, came to the throne of the great king with an ear for his legendary wisdom.

"O, King Solomon, my lord," said the man who was the head of the family, "My family and I have come from our home in the north of Israel to hear your wisdom about the wildlife of this world. For we have heard that you know much about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, and we are all animal lovers that would like to learn some things about them that we haven't heard yet."

Solomon was honored by this request. "Indeed," he said, "The Lord our God has given me much wisdom, practical and spiritual, about the animal kingdom he created, and I am not tired of telling some of it to more curious inhabitants of Israel. Come. Follow me. We shall go for a short walk in the country, and I will tell ye your heart's desire." He got off his throne and ordered his manservants to mind the throne room while he was away, and then, with a courtly gesture, he walked out with the family.

…

* * *

Outside, they went to a field with bushes and trees dotting it, and a river running through it, too. Solomon observed an eagle flying down from the sky as it pounced on a field mouse. It then took its new meal away to be eaten privately. Solomon smiled. When he looked in another direction, he grimaced at a dead carcass where the vultures of the sky were feasting on it like the legions of the dead.

"There is a great deal of difference between the eagle and the vulture, two birds of prey well known to most men and women," he said thoughtfully, "The eagle is a courageous and strong bird, and it carries the message of God's Word all over the world, symbolically, of course. It is like a messenger from the Lord Himself, bearing messages of hope and forgiveness as well as warning and violent punishment to His chosen people.

"The vulture, on the other hand, is a filthy bird with filthy habits. It shows off the greed and sinful deeds of man, and it feasts off of the suffering of others. Vultures are the symbols of travesty in God's eyes. Yet they do have one practical redeeming feature. Because they eat the bodies of the abandoned dead and leave nothing to waste, they serve a purpose as animals that clean out refuse and prevent the spread of diseases the carcasses may carry."

…

* * *

After that, they walked by the river. Gazing into the water gave Solomon another idea for a subject.

"Did you people know that the mighty crocodiles that were found by rivers in Egypt are related to a kind of reptile that had died out long ago?"

The family members looked at each other and shrugged. "No, we did not, Your Majesty," said the man's wife, "But I believe you are telling the truth, because many animals died in the Great Flood that Noah and his family escaped with the ark."

"Good," said Solomon, "These reptiles existed for some time during the years of Earth's youth. There was more diversity between them than between any reptile family that still lives. Some had protective bony shields grown from their heads, and many of those had one to three horns. Some had natural armor on their backs. Others were colossal, some of which ate vegetation with the help of very long necks, while others hunted other animals for food. Still others had bodies and behaviors like those of birds, and thus bore some resemblance to the eagle I have just told you about."

"Ooohh," said one of the little girls, "These beasts sound delightful!"

Solomon smiled. "Actually, not all of them were safe to be around. Like I said, many hunted for meat instead of eating the plants. But these reptiles had (and still do have) a special place in the Lord's Creation. They ruled the dry lands of this Earth before the animals and the humans came forth, and God intended for them to have a unique place as His most magnificent scaled animals to live with Adam and Eve before the Fall. They are God's gift to the magnificence of the animal kingdom, but because they became dangerous and precarious after the Fall and mankind was at great risk, the Lord reluctantly allowed them to be wiped from the face of the planet until no more existed. It's a sad story, but one with its own sense of beauty, also."

The family looked awed. "It's amazing," said the wife's sister.

"I think it's great!" said one of the boys.

"There is another thing about reptiles I would like to tell you," said Solomon. "See that frog in the river? Both frogs and toads are a creation of God, and they both have their place in the world. However, toads have been unfortunate victims of the evil effects of sin, making them appear fatter and uglier than many frogs. Sad to say, the serpent in the Garden of Eden turned toads into counterfeits of the more slender and smoother frogs, and the Lord tells me that toads will be common in Hell, while frogs will find a happier home in Heaven."

His audience shuddered. "It certainly doesn't bear thinking about," said the man.

"No, it doesn't," agreed Solomon.

…

* * *

"Tell us something about the fish of the sea," asked an eager girl.

"Very well then," said Solomon, "As you know, all the fish of the sea, lakes, and rivers are creatures made for life in the water. They breathe water instead of air, they are cold-blooded as a reptile, and they hatch their young in eggs they lay. But there are some unique fish in the sea. Maybe you have heard of sharks? Sharks can be quite dangerous, and they are very old sea creatures. But they have a softer, more flexible skeleton than most other fish, and some of them are warm-blooded, like you and I, or a beast or bird. They are sleek, skilled hunters, and if the Lord had an underwater navy, sharks are one kind of fish that might have a place in it."

"How interesting," remarked the wife and her sister, "Maybe a shark _could_ be an animal in God's arsenal. It certainly makes sense, given how fierce they are."

"And there are creatures of the sea that are not fish," continued Solomon, "and that doesn't just include the frightening Leviathan. Small ocean beasts with smooth skin and beaked mouths share the sea with the fish, and they are known for being smarter than many animals. They are called dolphins. They are shaped similarly to fish and swim much like fish, but they are of the same order as lions, horses, camels and rams, breathing air and nursing their young."

…

* * *

"Even the tiny, creepy creatures called insects have a place in God's Creation," Solomon said as he observed a butterfly flutter in front of a flower, and a line of ants busily doing their usual business. "Ants represent mankind better than any other animals the Lord has created. They work hard to make their living, they're very social creatures, they have rulers like man does, and they even use other insects for purposes similar to those for which we use our pets and our cattle. The only difference is that man is often slothful and lazy, while the ants always work hard to the very end, and the ants have such short and meager lifespans compared to us, even when they aren't stepped on. And anyone who's watched the grace and beauty of a simple little butterfly and refused to believe that One God created all this beautiful life is not likely to find favor with our Almighty Lord."

"We agree," said all the little girls, "Nothing like that cute little butterfly could come from any source other than God."

Their parents smiled at Solomon. "Our children are quite the believers, particularly our daughters."

"Good. Very good," said Solomon. "It's good to hear that the people of Israel are still holding on to the truth of the Lord, especially the little children. Come, I must return to my duties on the throne soon, and I wish to talk about one more thing with you."

…

* * *

When they returned to the city, the family observed as lovely peacocks and highly active apes and monkeys from foreign countries strutted or scampered about on the streets of Jerusalem. Solomon held the hand of one of the apes affectionately for a moment, and he turned and gave the happy family his last lesson for the day.

"Opinions on the goodness or wickedness of these beautiful animals vary," he explained, "Some say that peafowl are symbols of vanity, and some say that apes and monkeys are parodies and counterfeits of man and woman created in God's image. God tells me that there is some truth to that, but it is not the animals' fault that they are like that. Indeed, for apes and monkeys have innate intelligence that is similar to that of man, and the Lord tells me that in the future, there will be people, especially two women, who will stand up for apes and make long-lasting friendships with them, proving that they are not only not unlike man, but are innocent of their negative religious symbolism, as well. He also told me that man, due to his greed and the disease of sin, will be largely responsible for endangering the existence of these creatures someday; the Lord will not be responsible.

"And as for peafowl, it bears the same beauty as the butterfly, and the butterfly is not looked down on as a symbol of sin. Besides, while there is vanity in the peacock's form, if the evil was in the beauty, we could eliminate the sin by eliminating all beauty in the world, and then our Lord's Creation would no longer be very good, as He originally conceived it. All animals, including those that will exist in Hell instead of Heaven, have a place and a purpose on this Earth, and we, as God's chosen, must never interfere with that. Killing animals should be done only in self-defense, when hunting for food, or when preparing a burnt sacrifice to the Lord on His altar."

As Solomon stopped speaking, the family looked on him with a renewed feeling of wonder, for King Solomon taught similarly to the way the Savior of man, Jesus Christ, would do so at the Sermon on the Mount many years later: he taught with the authority of a good king and a prophet. The man of the household and his sons bowed, while his wife, her sister, and the girls did a curtsey.

"We thank you very much for your time, Your Majesty King Solomon," said the man, "What shall we do now?"

"Go in peace," said Solomon solemnly. "But first, go and deliver a sacrifice to the Lord your God at the temple and pray for forgiveness for whatever sins you may have committed. You must always remember to please the Lord our God so we can live long in this land He gave us."

"Yes, Your Majesty," said the man, and soon the family was on its way.

Solomon watched them go silently, and then he offered a prayer of thanksgiving to God once again for the great wisdom He had bestowed upon him.

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**A/N:** You might have guessed by now that the mighty reptiles Solomon was talking about were evidently the dinosaurs, but I couldn't call them that, because I don't think the word dinosaur had been coined in biblical times.

**I hope you liked it. Please R&R!**


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